Instantly, she knew just how her Berry Intermediate School fifth-grader’s day was going. Math teacher Emily Linsley has awarded her son a “+1 for working hard.”
“What I like the most about ClassDojo is how easy it is to stay in touch and communicate with my son’s teachers about how his day has gone. I can get on the app at any time and see what kind of day he is having. It’s an easy way to keep me informed,” Smith said.
Smith is one of thousands of Warren County parents getting a steady stream of feedback about their children’s success in school through this free communication platform that encourages students and parents to become more engaged in building positive classroom environments.
“ClassDojo is a great tool to encourage students to make good choices and display positive behaviors in the classroom. Students earn points for demonstrating positive behaviors, but they can lose points for negative behaviors. It gives us the opportunity to point out positive things students are doing more often instead of just focusing on negative behaviors,” explained Linsley. “As teachers, we feel that it is nice for parents to see where their student might need to improve, but just as important that they see areas where their child is doing really well. Our students are excited to earn points on ClassDojo, and our team has implemented a reward system where they earn ‘Dojo Dollars’ for their points and can spend their dollars on rewards.”
Smith said she has seen new maturity in her son this year, due in part, to ClassDojo.
“The more positive points he accumulates, the more Dojo Dollars he gets that he can spend on various rewards, which range from a free homework pass to lunch with a friend,” she said. “It is much easier to communicate with his teachers this way, rather than notes that are sent home that sometimes get lost or never make it to my hands. And I can message the teachers through the app with any concerns if my son is having an off day. It’s like a small window into his day at school.”
The classroom management app provides teachers, parents and students with real-time access to share photos, videos, and messages through the school day. According to ClassDojo, the platform is used in 90 percent of U.S. districts and in more than 180 countries worldwide.
“Teachers can customize ClassDojo to fit their classrooms. They can input the skills they want their students working on, and how many points each skill is worth. They also have access to reports on each child (an easy to read pie chart), which can be printed out and shared with parents if technology is not available at home,” Linsley explained. “Students also receive access to log into ClassDojo, so they can monitor their own progress. Each student is given an avatar that is a monster. Students are able to customize the look of their monster that is displayed whenever they log onto ClassDojo.”
Springboro teachers having been using this tool for several years primarily in elementary classrooms.
Nicole Brown at Dennis Elementary School said she has seen a transformation in her classrooms and improved communication with parents since implementing ClassDojo four years ago.
“When I used a traditional form of classroom management, students often couldn’t remember why they had moved up or down on a ladder. By using Dojo there never is any question about the students’ behaviors,” she explained. “Dojo also tracks the data for your class, as well as individual students that I can use to share at data meetings or at conferences with parents.”
Her reward system uses a points data tracker. Students may trade points in increments of 25 and receive coupons for their hard work.
Schneck Elementary School in Franklin is also using this resource.
“Many teachers at Schenck Elementary use ClassDojo to communicate with parents about what is happening in their child’s classroom and with their child’s behavior. Teachers like that they can give students Dojo points for positive behaviors and work toward class and individual goals,” explained principal Debbie Kienle, noting that the app is being used in tandem with other measures to reinforce the ideas of goal setting, effort and motivation to improve.
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